Journal Inquirer given North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce's Business of Year award

Paul Poutre, advertising representative at the Journal Inquirer, recently accepted the North Central Chamber of Commerce 2012 Business of the Year Award on behalf of the newspaper.Judith Kelliher photo

As a 30-year member of the chamber, the newspaper has provided more than its share of support for the chamber. Poutre, 46, has spent 20 years volunteering for the chamber. The newspaper’s efforts and Poutre’s volunteerism earned the Journal Inquirer the chamber's 2012 Business of the Year award.

“The Journal Inquirer strives to be committed to the community. And I want to thank the businesses that have supported me over the years through advertising,” Poutre said. “We look forward to supporting the chamber in the years to come.”

Sandy Zukowski, the outgoing president of the chamber, praised the longtime membership of the Journal Inquirer in the chamber and Poutre’s volunteer service.

“The JI has been extremely supportive of our chamber by offering us thousands of dollars’ worth of advertising and promotional space in their newspaper as well as supporting and attending most, if not all, of our major events,” Zukowski said. “They also support our organization by allowing their talented staff member, Paul Poutre, to work on our committees and board.”

Among other efforts, the Journal Inquirer has been one of the top sponsors over the past two years for both the chamber’s Home Show and Business Expo events.

Part of Poutre’s volunteer efforts for the chamber has been to compile the chamber’s annual membership directory for the past 12 years. The Journal Inquirer has also donated a host of raffle prizes for chamber events over the years.

For Poutre, he became involved in the chamber because his advertising territory included Enfield and the chamber. He is a current member of the chamber’s board of directors, its Executive Committee and a new Marketing Committee which has a task of updating the chamber's website.

The reason businesses and people join and participate in the chamber really vary, said Poutre, who is married to Lisa Poutre. The couple lives in Vernon with their sons Ryan, 15, and Jake, 11.

“Everyone gets value out of the chamber. For me as an ad rep, it’s the networking and the opportunity to meet new people all the time,” he said.

Poutre sees the chamber as a chance for people to expand their business—but they have to do a little legwork.

“Really you get what you put into it. If you put yourself out there and join a committee, you’re going to get a lot more out of it than just joining the chamber and not doing anything,” he said. “If you get involved you’ll make a lot of connections and have fun. It’s just a good way to give back to the community we serve.”